Switch-operating device



(No Model.)

G. SCHUMAGHBR. SWITCH OPERATING DEVICE.`

No. 484,250. Patented ont. 1'-1, 1892'.

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I UNTTEE STATES PATENT OFFICE.-

GERHARD SCHUMACHER, OF MILWAUKEE, IVISCONSIN.

SWITCH-OPERATING DEVICE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 484,250, dated October1 1, 1892.

Application tiled March 16, 1892.

T0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GERHARD SCHUMACHER, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee, and in theState ofIVisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inDevices for Operating Railway-Switches; and I do hereby declare that thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

My invention relates to new and useful improvements in devices foroperating the movable rails of railway-switches; and it consists in thematters hereinafter described, and pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, illustrating my invention, Figure l is aplan view of a switch constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig.2 is a vertical cross-section of `the same, illustrating in section thebody of a car provided with my improved appliance for engaging with thelevers which throw the movable switch-rails. Fig. 3 isan enlarged detailelevation of a portion of the same. Fig. 4 is a vertical cross-sectionof a portion of the track and switch rails, said section being taken online 4 4 of Fig. l.

In said drawings, A A represent the maintrack rails, and B B the railsof a side or branch track leading off from the main track.

The construction illustrated in the drawings is that commonly employedin the construction of switches for street-railway tracks, in which amovable switch-point C is pivoted to one of the main-track rails and isarranged to be moved into a position to guide the wheels of a car pastthe side or branch track or to cause the car to run od from the maintrack and onto the side or branch track.

I provide a transversely-arran ged lon gitudinally-movable rod D, whichis pivotally engaged at d, with the free end of the movable switch pointor tongue C, said rod being passed through suitable apertures a. a inthe webs of the main-track rails A A, so as to project somewhat beyondthe outer surfaces of said rails at both sides of the main track.

Levers E E are pivotally secured at the outside of the two track-rails AA, as at e e., and one end of each of said levers is pivoted to one ofthe ends of the transverse rod D, as at e e', the free end of each ofsaid levers being turned inwardly, as shown at E', and

Serial No. 425,177. (No model.)

. passed through a slot a in the maintrack movable bar H is passed, saidkbar being provided at its top with a pressure-plate h, by means ofwhich the bar may be depressed by pressure applied thereto by the footof the driver or other person upon the platform. A spring H is arrangedso as to normally hold each of the bars l-l H in its elevated position.y

The operation of my improved device is as follows: When a car approachesthe junction of the two tracks and it. is desired to set the switch soas to guide the car onto the side track, the person upon the frontplatform of the car applies pressure to the bar H upon the side of theplatform toward which it is de' sired to go, so as to depress said barand cause it to engage atits lowerend with the inwardly projectinginclined surface of the wedgeshaped plate E of the lever E, which islocated at that side of the track, so as to vibrate the free end ofsaidlever outwardly and move the end which'is connected with the switchbarinwardly. This movement of the lever and connected parts will cause theswitch point or tongue to be moved into the position illustrated in Fig.1 in an obvious manner, so as to guide the car onto the side track B. Ifnow another car approaches the switch and itis desired to run saidlatter car straight ahead upon the main track, the person upon the frontplatform may by depressing the bar H upon the other side of the platformcause the same to engage with the other one of the levers E, so as tomove the switch point or tongue in the opposite direction fromthatbefore described, thus enabling the car to proceed past the switchupon the main track. Similarly, when a car approaches the switch in thedark and it is impossible to see which way said switch is set the driveror other person on the platform may insure the proper operation of theswitch by simply depressing the bar H at the side of the car, which willIOO engage with the one of the levers E E to adjust the switch-point inthe desired direction, when, if the switch is not already in the desiredposition, the lever E will be operated so as to effect the desiredadjustment, and if the switch has already been so adjusted no movementof the parts will be produced.

By my improvements the switch point or tongue may be set to the desiredposition as the car approaches the switch without stopping the car andwithout any exertion on the part of the driver or other person on theplatform other than to depress the desired one of the bars H.

While I have shown and described my improvementsas applied tothe railsof a streetrailway track, yet I would have it understood that saidimprovements are equally applicable to the rails of railroad-tracks forsteam-cars, and I therefore do not desire to be limited to the exactform of construction and arrangement of parts shown in the Tdrawings andherein described.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

l. The combination,withthe track-railsand the movable switch-tongue of arailway-track, of a transversely-arranged longitudinally movable rodengaged with said movable switch-tongue and pivoted levers extendinglongitudinally adjacent to the track-rails and arranged to vibratehorizontally, each of said levers being pivotally engaged at one endwith one end of said transverse rod and provided at its free end with alaterally-oblique surface adapted for engagement with a depending deviceupon a car, whereby saidlevers may be vibrated into a position to shiftsaid transverse rod and. the connected. switchtongue, substantially asdescribed.

2. The combination7 with the maintrack rails and the movableswitch-tongue of a railway-track, of a transversely-arrangedlongitudinally-movable rod pivotally engaged with said movableswitch-tongue and extending outside of the track-rails upon oppositesides of the track, levers extending lengthwise of the track andpivotally supported upon opposite sides thereof and arranged to vibratehorizontally, each of said levers being pivotally engaged at one endwith one end of the transverse rod, suitable slots in the webs ofthetrack-rails,andinwardly-extendingwedgeshapedprojections upon the freeends of said levers, arranged to project through said slots and adaptedfor engagement with a suitable depending device upon a car, whereby saidlever may be vibrated to shift the transverse rod and the connectedswitch-tongue, substantially as described.

3. The combination, with the main-track rails and the movableswitch-tongue of a raila vertically-movable bar adapted to be movedyinto a position to be engaged with the inclined surface on one of saidlevers tovibrate said lever and the connected switch-tongue,substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand, atMilwaukee, in

the county of Milwaukee and State of Wist cousin, in the presence of twowitnesses.

GERHARD SCI-IUMACI-IER.

Vtitnesses:

JOHN E. WILES, I-I. G. UNDERwooD.

